Ice Angels
by Julianne envy U
Summary: Angel, a 19 year old misfit, is less than thrilled to be the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claus. As if her family status weren't enough to set her teeth on edge, she must fight the odds to save her best friend. Jack/OC. Revamping & Continuing Story!
1. Angel's Mystery

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or any themes associated with The Santa Clause 3.**

**Story is set 19 years AFTER "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause." Also, for the sake of my alternate universe, instead of having a baby boy, Carol and Scott have a baby girl named Angel. At this point in time, Jack Frost is warm and cheerful (due to the magical hug he received from Lucy) and is good friends with Angel. **

**(This story was dedicated to my friend Angel who I've since lost contact with. I will be keeping the character name simply because I do not wish to change very much about the plot. I'm simply editing the writing so that it is more grammatically accurate and so that the characters seem slightly more realistic.)**

**Note: thoughts are in**_italics_

**Side-Note: I will be referring to Mr. and Mrs. Claus by their original names: Carol and Scott. I find this to be an easier method to differentiate them from one another as "Mr." and "Mrs." are very similar identifiers.**

Angel abruptly bolted up in bed, beads of sweat covering her forehead. She'd had this particular nightmare several times before but it never seemed to lose its sting. She took a few deep, calming breaths as she glanced around her room. It was just the same garish decorations she'd known as a baby – candy cane bedposts, gumdrop-shaped beanbag chairs, plastic reindeer bookends and lots of unnaturally cheerful décor. Frowning slightly, Angel slid out of bed and neatly folded over the sheets. She'd always hated how unavoidably bright and merry her life had been. Sure, she didn't find anything wrong with being happy every now and then, but it was as if the need to feel good was being forced down her throat. Ever since she found out that she was the daughter of the most famous holiday icon in the entire world, Angel had had a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't want 'Santa's little Angel' to be her modifier for the rest of her life. She just wanted to be a normal child, just like anyone else.

Despite her own insecurities, Angel was a very attractive girl. Her shoulder-length hair was a striking auburn that contrasted beautifully with her bright green eyes. She was on the slightly curvier side due to her genetics, but she was far from fat. Her high brow bone gave her a bit of a striking look, although the softer features of her face were more than enough to convey her usually innocent nature. She'd been a bit of a rebel from time to time, but considering that she'd been a teenager, her parents hadn't punished her too severely. Now she was nineteen years old and nearing her twentieth birthday – a landmark in her life that she'd been anticipating for quite some time. It had been decided that once she turned twenty, Angel was free to leave home and pursue a career in the real world. For now, however, she was working part-time at the small North Pole bakery so that she'd be able to put herself through college in the States.

With an air of annoyance, Angel walked over to her closet and removed a ridiculously elf-like uniform covered in bells and little, ornate Christmas trees. She made quick work of slipping on the silly outfit, tights and all, and examined herself in the mirror. "Just another mundane day," she murmured bitterly, turning from the mirror and making her way down the stairs.

Angel made her way into the dining area where Scott, Carol and her best friend Jack were conversing quietly. Her spirits brightened slightly when she saw Jack – there was something about him that made her want to smile, whether it be because he was actually one of the kindest people she knew or perhaps it was because she thought he was incredibly cute. Either way, as she moved to sit down at the table, Jack pulled out a chair for her and allowed her to sit down. "Thanks, Jack," she replied, smile in place.

"Good morning, Angel," greeted Scott. "Morning, dad," Angel replied. "Morning, mom." Jack, who was smiling brightly, turned to her and chimed in, "how are you today?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Angel looked down at the plate in front of her. "I'm fine, I suppose," she replied, not really caring to go into detail of her nightmare. It always involved him and she was terrified that it might not be just a dream anymore. Shuddering involuntarily, Angel looked up and gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster. She didn't need to dwell on her dreams – that's all they were, after all: dreams. She pulled her plate even closer and began to nibble on her toast. Maybe if her mouth was full, they wouldn't try to play twenty questions with her.

Breakfast wasn't particularly eventful, although Jack was recounting a very interesting story from his last trip to the toy factory. Only listening halfheartedly, Angel was playing with her food when she suddenly jumped in her seat. "Oh, crap, I'm gonna be late for work!" she yelped, standing from the table and scrambling to find her purse.

"Would you like for me to take you on my snowmobile?" asked Jack as he began to stand up.

Grateful for the offer, Angel nodded. "Yes, thanks!" She finally grabbed her purse and, with Jack in tow, headed out the door.

Carol glanced over at the wall calendar before turning to Scott. "Doesn't she realize that she has Saturdays off?" Scott chuckled merrily and replied, "they'll find out soon enough."

Several minutes later, Jack and Angel arrived at the small shop only to see that it was closed. "Oh, right," Angel muttered, her cheeks turning a deep red. "It's Saturday, isn't it?" Smiling, Jack nodded. "Looks like we got a little ahead of ourselves, eh Angel?" Both reflecting on the rather silly mistake they'd made, they closed their eyes and laughed heartily. "Wow, I can't believe how dumb I am. Sorry I dragged you out here, Jack." Still grinning, Angel opened her arms as to offer him a hug. Chuckling, he leaned forward and squeezed her tightly. "It's alright, Angel. No harm done."

"Well then, since we're already out and about, would you like to go on a little trip?" Jack looked slightly concerned, although Angel couldn't quite discern why. She meant to ask, but thought better of it. Suddenly remembering what she was wearing, she looked down at her attire and rolled her eyes. "Hang out while wearing this nonsense? I think I'd rather try being a reindeer."

"Nonsense, Angel. You look fine." Jack seemed back to normal, but Angel still couldn't get over that almost dazed look that she'd seen in his eyes. It was almost as if he was hiding something from her – then again, she still didn't know why he was labeled as Jack Frost when absolutely nothing about him conveyed a sense of frostiness. True, he did live on the North Pole, but that still didn't explain why he was legendary figure for snow and ice – with his warm, rosy cheeks, bright smile and overall welcoming exterior she believed that perhaps it was a joke. She'd always wanted to ask him but feared that it would strain or even end their friendship and that was the last thing that she wanted.

Her desire to know more about Jack's past was so overwhelming that she couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity. Incredibly forced smile in place, Angel replied, "Sure, Jack. I'd love to talk." Without a moment's hesitation, Jack gingerly grasped Angel's hand and led her over to the snowmobile. Both of them seemed incredibly tense, but there was, without a doubt, a sense of true companionship between the pair – perhaps something more.

"Hang on tight!" The snowmobile roared to life as they rode off toward the toy factory and, ultimately, their fate.


	2. The Answer

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor hold any rights of any of the characters made and owned by Disney. (Or half the world, to assume the most) I also do not own any of the actors. coughMartinShortcough Oh well. I'll get over it. Maybe….**

**Note: thoughts are in **_italics_

**Side-Note: I will be referring to Santa Claus as Scott and I will be referring to Mrs. Claus as Carol (since those are their character names) **

**Author's Note: I'd like to apologize for spelling Claus wrong on my first (side-note) yeah. I accidentally put "Clause" in the wrong form. Yeah. I'm a grammatical freak, so I'd just like to point that out. Sorry again.**

By the time Jack and Angel reached the toy factory, fifteen minutes had passed. They had both been bored, so they had circled the North Pole a couple times just to view all of the scenery. They had finally decided to go to their original destination when the snowmobile had started to run out of fuel.

"Well, that was fun" said Jack. "Yeah. Thanks for taking me around, Jack" replied Angel. "No problem, Angel" he returned. He winked at her and led her into the factory.

The elves were hard at work. It was only a month until Christmas, so everybody was very busy. Angel glanced at Jack and saw the kind, warm-hearted smile plastered to his face. She kept repeating her question over and over in her mind. _Why is Jack 'Frost' so warm? _She finally couldn't take it anymore, and said, "hey, Jack? Why don't we go into that room over there and talk?" Angel pointed to a small room that looked quiet and empty. "Alright" he replied. They quickly made their way into the room and Angel closed the door behind them.

"So, Angel," Jack chimed, "what would you like to talk about?"

Angel's heart leapt into her chest. She wanted to ask him so badly, yet she was afraid it would make him angry or upset him to bring the subject to matter. She didn't know what to do. A look of worry and regret crossed her face and it didn't take Jack long to notice.

"What's wrong, Angel? Is something bothering you?" asked Jack.

_Yes, _she thought, _something is bothering me. It's you. It's all about you._ Sighing again, Angel looked into Jack's brown eyes. His dull, normal brown eyes. The eyes that she had thought would have been icy blue. A beautiful, icy blue.

"Well," she began, "there's been something that I've been meaning to ask about you…..for a while now, actually."

A bit surprised, Jack thought for a minute and replied, "What would that be? If you're afraid of how I'll take it, don't be. I won't get angry or upset with you. I promise." He smiled that warm, comforting smile that had always made Angel's heart glow.

Feeling a bit more confident with that said, Angel finally decided to get it over with. "Jack, the thing that I've always been wondering is….." She gulped, then began again, "Why aren't you blue and frosty and covered in ice? That's how I've heard you described. That's how everyone says you were. How you're supposed to be. Why aren't you a literal Jack 'Frost'?" Finally she had asked. She felt better, yet she worried what Jack's thought on the subject were.

Jack, a bit shocked by the question, suddenly closed his eyes in thought. He remembered his past and what he had done with it. The question had reminded him of what he had been. What he had felt like and how much better he felt when he was that way. When he really was Jack 'Frost'.

Angel looked at Jack with worried eyes. She could tell the question had upset him, but she didn't know it was sadness that he was brought over with. She feared that he would suddenly yell at her out of anger, but he didn't. He just sat there for a few minutes. He then decided to tell her his story.

"Angel….what you've been told was once true. I was a man of ice. I was cold, hard, icy, blue, and had no care for a thing but myself. I know that I was so terrible….and I wish I'd never been. But the truth is……I liked being that way. I enjoyed being made of ice. I loved my icy hair and piercing blue eyes. I loved having ice powers. I loved being….bad."

Unable to hold back his emotions, Jack began crying. Angel, feeling terrible for upsetting him, walked over and tried to comfort him. She gave him a big hug and forced him to look into her eyes.

"Jack," she began, "did you like being the old Jack Frost better?"

Fearing what might become of him, Jack hesitated to answer the question. Angel, still comforting him, added, "I won't tell a soul. I promise."

Jack looked up and issued a small nod. He had enjoyed being bad. He wished that he had never changed. He wished to gain all his powers and features back, but attempt to still be good, for the sake of the North Pole and himself. He quietly squeaked, "yes" and slumped back down.

Angel, wanting for her friend to be happy again, thought of what she could do. "Jack?"

Jack looked up and quietly replied, "yeah?"

Angel took a deep breath and prayed that she wouldn't regret what she was about to say. "If I can find a way to bring you back to your old form…..blue, icy, and with the powers of ice, would you promise that you'd still be good?"

Jack didn't know if he could handle the question. Sure, he'd love to be his regular, powerful, and blue self, but he feared he may no longer be good. "I don't know if I could make that promise…." he replied.

Angel just sat there. She wanted to help him and she actually knew a way to possibly bring him back to his regular form. _Thank goodness I've read the Legendary Council Clause Handbook _she thought to herself. "I know I can help, Jack…..and I'll help you make that promise."

Jack's face turned a bright red. He'd always wanted to have his powers granted back to him, and this seemed like he would actually get them back. Without delay, he replied, "Alright. Let's do this" and walked out the door with Angel.

Angel had no idea what she was about to get herself into…..


	3. Sudden Weakness

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor hold any rights of any of the characters made and owned by Disney. (Or half the world, to assume the most) I also do not own any of the actors. coughMartinShortcough Oh well. I'll get over it. Maybe….**

**Note: thoughts are in **_italics_

**Side-Note: I will be referring to Santa Claus as Scott and I will be referring to Mrs. Claus as Carol (since those are their character names) **

Jack and Angel made their way out of the toy factory and as soon as they reached the snowmobile, Jack realized that the gas meter was empty. "Oh, great!" he yelled.

Angel, frightened by the sudden outburst, turned to look at Jack who was fumbling with some controls on the snowmobile. "What's wrong?" she asked rather nervously.

Jack turned to look at Angel and noticed the startled look on her face. "Oh, nothing," he replied, "we're just out of gas. Sorry if I scared you." He walked over to Angel and gave her a comforting hug.

Relieved, Angel returned the hug and then stared at their motionless vehicle. "So…what are we going to do? It's a long walk from here to my house." "Well," replied Jack, "I guess we'll just have to walk anyway."

Angel was confused. _What are we going to do with the snowmobile? _"Uh..Jack? What are we going to do with the snowmobile? We can't just leave it."

"You sit on it and I'll push." Jack smiled at Angel and helped her onto the vehicle. "Are you sure you want to push me?" she asked. "Yes." He smiled again and patted Angel on the back. "Thank you, Jack." She returned with a warm smile and started to handle the gears on the mobile so that it would roll easily.

It took the couple about thirty minutes to make it back to Angel's house and by then, Jack was exhausted from pushing. However, that wasn't the only reason for his exhaustion. He slowly sunk down into the snow and closed his eyes. Angel was afraid that he was sick and quickly bent down to help him up. Barely able to stand, Jack practically fell onto Angel when she helped him up.

Angel dragged Jack into the house and quickly plopped him onto her bed. She was worried that he was sick……and he was.

**((Sorry for the EXTREMELY short chapter. I've been crammed with work and stuff (and some family issues) so I had little time to work on this. I promise the next chapter will be longer! Thanks for all of the reviews!))**


	4. Unknown Sorrows

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor hold any rights of any of the characters made and owned by Disney. (Or half the world, to assume the most) I also do not own any of the actors. coughMartinShortcough Oh well. I'll get over it. Maybe….**

**Note: thoughts are in **_italics_

**Side-Note: I will be referring to Santa Claus as Scott and I will be referring to Mrs. Claus as Carol (since those are their character names)**

Angel was in a panic. Her friend was seriously ill and she didn't know what to do. She stumbled around her room trying to figure out what she needed to do.

"The thermometer" she quickly stated and ran off to the bathroom to find it.

_Wait…I need to get help! Not look for a thermometer! _

Angel ran back to her room only to find that Jack was turning extremely pale. It seemed as if all the life was slowly draining out of him and they had no control over it. She continued to panic and still didn't know what to do. As she stared at Jack in horror, she lost consciousness and fell to the floor. As she did, her mind wandered into the unknown:

_What can I do? What is there to do? What have I done wrong? I shouldn't have exhausted him so much. I should have helped him push the snow mobile. It's my fault. I'm to blame. How can I be forgiven?_

_How can I save him…..? Is there a way?_

Two hours had passed and Angel woke up, gasping for air. She glanced around slowly and noticed that she was lying in her bed and Jack was nowhere to be found. _Was it all a dream? _She asked herself. Slowly, she rolled out of the bed, stood still for a moment to get rid of a terrible head rush, and walked down to the main room.

There she found Carol and Scott sitting at the table, apparently deep in thought. As she walked towards them, she wondered, _why did I have such a horrible dream about Jack? He's my only true friend around here, despite his age, and something like that would utterly kill me………by the way, where IS Jack?_

She walked up to her parents and glanced back and forth between them. They had very solemn looks on their faces and it almost seemed as if Carol was crying.

"Mom….dad?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

A lump stuck in Angel's throat. What could be wrong with them? Did she do something wrong?

Carol slowly looked up at her daughter as fresh tears streamed down her face. Scott did the same, yet the tears didn't seem quite so fresh….almost as if he'd stopped crying hours earlier.

"It's Jack." He replied.

Angel gasped. "What about him?!" she squealed. She was afraid of the answer she would receive. _Was my dream…REAL after all?_

"Honey," started Carol, "Jack…h-he….he's…d-dead, Angel. We found him i-in your room and it was already t-too late."

Angel stood there in shock. Utter shock. Not a single thing on Earth at that moment would be able to get her to flinch. She was in a state of extreme anxiety that her only true friend really was gone. _I won't believe it. _

"N-NOO!!!!" was all she could scream. With all of her strength, she knocked over the large, wooden kitchen table and knocked every imaginable item from the shelves down onto the floor in an attack of grief and fury. How could Jack just die?! He was her best friend and he was all she had. He could never leave her! Why now? WHY?!

Carol and Scott stood and stared with scared looks on their faces. Never in their lives had they seen their daughter so furiated and they both feared that something terrible would happen to her. They knew that Jack was seemingly all she had and they knew that the news had really destroyed her. They were right.

With one swift movement, Angel left the rubble and remains of her once-beautiful kitchen and ran out the front door into the icy land outside.

_I'll find him. Watch me. I'll find him and he won't be dead. He'll be sitting there smiling when I walk up and we'll be together again. Just me and him. Me and my only friend._

**((I'm SO sorry that I haven't written this sooner, guys! I've got a lot of things going on and I really didn't even have the time to write this, so I know it's really rushed and it probably doesn't make sense, but I hope it'll suffice until the next chapter. Sorry it's not much longer than the last one, too. Thanks for reading this far! ))**


	5. On the Way

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor hold any rights of any of the characters made and owned by Disney. (Or half the world, to assume the most) I also do not own any of the actors. coughMartin Shortcough Oh well. I'll get over it. Maybe….**

**Note: thoughts are in **_italics_

**Side-Note: I will be referring to Santa Claus as Scott and I will be referring to Mrs. Claus as Carol (since those are their character names)**

She was running through the blistering cold. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute. Her breath left large puffs of carbon dioxide in the chilly, snowy air as her lungs felt like they were about to explode. Her feet were throbbing with pain and her face felt as if it was being pierced with thousands of tiny needles…but Angel didn't care. Jack was out there and he needed her help; he was NOT dead, and she would never believe that he was.

"I'm coming, Jack," she huffed, "I'm not gonna let you go."

Farther and farther she ran from the North Pole. She had searched that horribly cheerful place for over three hours, only to find that Jack wasn't there. That wouldn't stop her; she would keep looking, no matter where she ended up. She would find Jack.

Scott and Carol had pleaded that she stay put…they told her that Jack had already been carried off to be buried at a private cemetery of which nobody knew the location. Angel wouldn't let her friend be buried, though; not when he was still alive. She would never admit that he was dead. She knew he was alive; she could feel it.

She had been running for hours when she suddenly collapsed in the snow from exhaustion. As she gasped for air, tears began to pour down her rosy cheeks.

"WHY?!!" she screamed to the sky. "WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME?!!"

She couldn't control herself any longer. Her best friend was gone; eternally hidden from her. She could visualize the warm, cheerful face of Jack slowly turning an ashen blue…not from his old icy appearance, but from the lack of oxygen. Had he suffocated? How did it happen? What had caused him to be so ill when they had returned home?

"It's my fault, isn't it?" she asked toward the sky. "I caused him to over-exert himself, and he d-died….of exhaustion?"

Angel slumped forward and shoved her face into the frosty snow. Was this really it? Was he really dead? Angel didn't know what to believe. She'd sworn to say that he was still alive, but would it be the truth to continue to think this way? Her parents would never lie to her; never about something so serious…._but how could they tell if he truly were d-dead? If only I could FIND him!!_

Against the protests of her aching body, Angel slowly stood up and began walking at a fast pace. She could not give up.

"Just hold on, Jack," she said, "I'm coming for you."

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The sleigh was slowly lifting off of the ground; it carried a most precious cargo. The body of a man lay in the coffin that was mounted to the sleigh's back. He was a man who had once been malevolent, only to become jolly and warm by the power of a magical hug. He was a man who, no matter how depressing the situation, always had a bright smile and rosy, red cheeks.

That man was stone cold now. But things were not as they appeared….

**Oh, goodness guys, I'm SO sorry for not continuing this story sooner! I've been too busy to function properly, and since the Santa Clause 3 DVD has just been released, I felt obligated to update ASAP, so here's the installment. I hope you enjoy it, and I apologize once more for the long delay between chapters. I'll try my best to update more frequently, but I can make no promises. I also apologize for the shortness, I'm still rather busy.**

**Yes, yes, I left it on a cliffhanger…I suppose that will give you all a good reason to attack me if I don't update soon…hides under a rock**


	6. Discovery

**Author Note: Wow, so I'm a terrible person. It has literally been years since I've updated and there's really no excuse other than the fact that I lost inspiration; however, I intend to finish this story as thoroughly as possible. My original plot idea has changed, but that's not so bad I suppose…I never got that far into the story anyway! For those of you still interested, here is the long-overdue update! I'll try to make it a more constant thing, even though I'm up to my ears in collegiate theatre work! This will be a short chapter, but those following should make up for it. Ciao, lovely readers!**

Angel's body was trembling. In her distraught state, she'd remained outside for hours, her limbs numb from the bitter cold. The warmth within her had vanished, and in its stead was a barren emptiness that nothing would be able to fill. Jack was gone. Jack, her dearest friend, lost to the great abyss that she could never possibly understand. Yes, she understood the concept of death – it was an inevitable fate, even for those who lived in a magical paradise such as the North Pole, but it was such a foreign subject to her. She was educated on how to be cheerful…but nobody had ever taught her how to mourn.

Finding a small spark of determination, she carefully pushed herself up from the thickly-packed layer of snow she'd fallen on and looked around. It was not hard to tell that she was far from home. Her surroundings consisted of nothing but whistling winds, heavy snowfall and icy pellets of sleet. It was slowly setting in that she may indeed pass away herself, here, lost in this empty, frozen wasteland. The howling wind carrying tumults of snow made it nearly impossible to see, save for the few inches in front of her face – so how exactly would she make her way back to the North Pole?

"It's useless," she whispered to herself. The determination she'd once felt was entirely gone and she inwardly disclosed her fate. She would die here – lost, empty and alone. "Without him, I've got nothing to lose." She closed her eyes as the warm, stinging tears began to fall yet again. Jack may have indeed been her best friend, but it was true that she'd always wanted something more. They were forbidden thoughts – thoughts that she'd always push to the back of her mind. She knew the way the world worked and that their differences in age, despite their supposed immortality, were rather exponential. Nothing good could have ever come from these thoughts, so she'd buried them away, hoping never to encounter them again.

_I've got to try. He'd be furious if he knew I gave up so quickly. _With a shaking hand, Angel quietly brushed away her tears that were starting to freeze on her cheeks. "I will survive," she spoke aloud with mock-determination, knowing that there was little cause for her to try. Still, she owed Jack that much. She knew he'd be distraught to realize that his death ultimately led to hers. _Except dead people can't BE distraught, _she thought bitterly.

Just as she started pushing her way through the blisteringly cold snowfall, a rather curious thing occurred. A sleigh, quite similar to the one that Scott normally used for his holiday rounds, soared past, just south of where Angel stood. The elf bearing the reigns did not seem to notice her at all. Convinced that he wouldn't notice her even if she signaled him, she resigned herself to keep walking but stopped immediately in her tracks when she saw what was on the back of the sleigh. A long, rectangular box covered in blue and white snowflakes lay on the sleighs cargo hold, which seemed just the right size to hold an adult.

_A coffin, _she thought somberly, knowing for certain that it must belong to none other than her dearest friend. _He really IS gone. _

Her motivation faltering, she couldn't help but feel bitter. During this, her most agonizing of moments, the sleigh carrying her best friend's corpse just had to fly by? Surely a higher power was laughing at her pain. Still, she'd made a promise to herself and Jack when she'd learned of his untimely death. "I've got to follow that sleigh," she said aloud, her eyes hardened as she watched the sparkling residue that trailed behind the hearse sleigh. Picking up her pace, Angel fought against the wind with rigor, knowing what she now had to do. "I'll find him. I'll get him back. There's got to be a way."

With these words, Angel set the path to her destiny.


	7. Resurrection

**Author Note: Well, seeing as I'm on break, I decided I'd go ahead and write another chapter in my free time. Hope you all enjoy!**

Weathered from the bitter cold, Angel had slowed significantly in her journey. The sleigh bearing what she believed to be her best friend's body had long since passed her and she was finding it harder and harder to track its whereabouts. All she was going off of now was instinct, and instinct told her to head due south until she could finally set things right. She would find her friend and she would see him smile yet again, even if it killed her.

Pulling her scarf ever tighter, Angel silently cursed the fact that she'd worn nothing more than her measly work uniform. Although it looked weather-repellent, it was actually nothing more than a thin layer of cloth that provided her little relief from the elements. She was vaguely aware of the fact that most of her limbs had grown to a heavy numbness and reason led her to believe that she'd probably lose one or two of them in the long run, if not more. Although she was a very sheltered girl, she wasn't an imbecile and she was perfectly aware of the effects of frostbite. _It'll mean nothing to me if I can never see Jack again._

Every step was a struggle, but she persevered against the elements as best as she could, her eyes sharp and her mind determined. Her auburn hair was now haphazardly strewn about her face, a layer of thin ice engulfing the tangled knots, giving her a fierce, crazed look. The wind caused tears to form in the corners of her eyes, which left small icicles hanging off the soft curve of her cheekbone. To anyone else, she'd surely look like a feral beast stalking its next prey. It seemed that most of her body was not functioning properly and her pace slowed drastically. She felt nothing but fatigue now and the ability to breathe was quickly starting to leave her.

She had trudged through the snow for hours, or so it seemed, until exhaustion and sickness finally began to overtake her. Weakly, she clutched at her chest, heaving with all of her might to catch her breath – it was no such use. Whimpering, Angel collapsed into the thick layer of snow below, her vision clouding and her head spinning. Was this how it was going to end? Was she to die here, in the middle of nowhere, with no one but the wind and snow to carry her to her death? No warm embraces or tear-jerking goodbyes? Just a vast, howling loneliness?

Trembling, Angel coughed so vehemently that it brought forth a fresh river of tears to her eyes. It was inevitable – she was to die here, unable to help her dearest friend. The man she'd always dreamt of – the man she'd loved. Yes, she could admit that to herself now. Despite years of trying to keep her feelings at bay, she'd truly loved the man who had been her only companion. Although she'd always told herself that her feelings stemmed solely from the bitter loneliness she'd felt all of her life, she knew that to be untrue. It was his undeniable warmth and tender kindness that had drawn her to him – and now she was to die, alone, and he would never know her secret. It would be better this way.

Taking her last shaking breath, Angel closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her ashen cheek.

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The sleigh landed with a heavy thud onto the tightly packed snow. Its cargo shuddered slightly at the impact, causing the mousey little elf to jump in surprise. "Darn coffin," he muttered aloud, his discontent completely apparent on his face. He knew he'd have to make quick work of this burial. Although all forms of precaution had been taken, there was always a chance that things would slip up.

As he, Hubert, was unaware, things already had.

Dismounting his bench, Hubert added a pinch of magic dust onto the lid of the coffin, causing it to levitate slowly from the back of the sleigh and land delicately on the mound of snow below. Content with his work, Hubert retreated to the front of the sleigh to collect his snow shovel and moved to the unmarked grave where Jack Frost would be buried. To Hubert, this was a very special privilege. Frowning, the little elf began to shovel the layers of snow out of the freshly made grave, which had been dug out not too many hours ago. This had been planned for quite a while, after all.

Several minutes of silence passed, save for the tumultuous winds and the crunching of the shovel in the layers of snow. It was almost calming for Hubert, unlike the usual hustle and bustle at the North Pole. He supposed that's why he applied for this usually abhorrent post. He'd rather spend time in the silence of the deceased than in the company of the abysmally cheerful.

Except this time, he wasn't in the company of the deceased.

Just as he'd finished removing the thick layer of snow from the grave, a sudden, loud clang echoed around him. Startled, Hubert clambered out of the grave and looked around him. There was nothing in his line of sight, save for the sleigh and uncovered coffin.

"What?!" he shouted, now frightened beyond reason. Who was doing this? Was someone playing a prank on him?

"Who-who's there?" he muttered, his voice beginning to leave him. Slowly, he inched toward the disturbed coffin, afraid of what he might find within. Despite the frigid air, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, a lump caught in his throat. "He-Hello?" Shaking, he continued forward. With a great gasp, he looked inside the coffin and found….absolutely nothing.

"How can this be?" he uttered, now truly alarmed. Had the coffin perhaps been empty all along? No, it couldn't have been. He'd seen the body. He'd watched as Santa himself had personally laid the lid upon the coffin with a half-heartedly somber frown. It was not Hubert's job to ask questions, though – merely to follow orders.

Lost in his thoughts, Hubert did not hear the crunching of footsteps behind him. Even if he had, it would not have been able to save him.

"You really shouldn't have done this," a foreign voice slurred, a strong sense of severity in the tone. Before Hubert could turn around and see who had confronted him, he was completely engulfed in a barrage of sharp ice crystals. His death was instantaneous – therefore, he did not see the flash of a blue coat, covered in ice crystals, as its wearer headed north…north to where Angel's body lay.


	8. Savior

**Merry Christmas, everyone! I present my gift to you: another chapter update! Special thanks goes out to Rossebre and Nekuranekomegami, without whom I'd probably not be updating. Reviews definitely are my preferred method of feedback. If I don't think anyone is reading, I don't update. So, if you want updates, PLEASE REVIEW! I've got a lot of work on my plate, so fanfictions are definitely one of the last things on my mind. Thanks so much and Happy Holidays!**

The fierce winds had come to a tumultuous rage, hammering the ground with snow and pellets of ice. What had been bad only magnified in intensity, and it was not hard to see why. Amid the frigid tundra walked a man with incredible power – the power to control the elements of wind, snow and ice, and reigned supreme in his ability to hold a fierce temper. This man, with his high cheekbones, piercingly blue eyes and sharp, glacial hair was not one to be toyed with – and he'd been through hell and back within a single night.

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The epicenter of the turbulent storm had surfaced just above the North Pole, which had thrown the inhabitants into a panic. The winds pounded the buildings so vehemently that the elves feared the walls would cave in and several windows had already shattered after being victim to a barrage of hail.

"How's it looking at the factory, Curtis?" Scott asked, hurriedly throwing on his coat as he shuffled down the hall.

"It's a bit of a mess down here, Santa," Curtis replied, the static of their walkie talkies nearly making his words unintelligible.

"Define a _bit_, Curtis," Scott replied in a huff, knowing that he wasn't going to receive very good news.

"Several of the windows are broken, Santa, and a lot of the toys have been damaged. Especially the naughty and nice list processer."

Cursing silently under his breath, Scott gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the radio. Little beads of sweat had made their way onto his forehead – it wasn't hard to tell that he was incredibly stressed. "Alright Curtis," he started, "just make sure to keep me up to date. I have to find Angel. She's been missing all night."

With that, Scott placed his hat atop his head and opened the door of his home, cringing at the burst of wind that greeted him. There was a fire within his eyes that none had ever seen – a fire of absolute fury.

"Frost," he hissed, his eyes hard and his mission clear. He wouldn't return until the deed he'd set out to do was done.

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With a loud moan, Angel's eyes fluttered open, revealing nothing but darkness. Was this what death was like?

"My head…" she murmured, wincing at the throbbing beneath her skull, no doubt caused from the severe lack of blood circulation within her body. With a huff, she pushed herself up from the…soft surface she'd been laying on.

"You'll want to lay back down," spoke an unfamiliar voice, causing Angel to jump.

"Who's there?" she asked, her eyes widening in a panic.

"That does not matter now. What matters is that you are alive."

"So, I didn't die," she mused, more to herself than the mysterious voice.

"Not exactly," the voice slurred, its husky timbre sending a chill down Angel's spine.

"What do you mean, 'not exactly?' I am alive, aren't I?" she questioned, not sure what to believe. Was this person hostile? They must have saved her, but could they be trusted? There was a sinister feel to the voice that didn't sit right with her. Her mind was a sea of questions, and before she knew it, she blurted out, "who _are _you?"

Quicker than a flash, she felt a deep, chilling presence approach just behind her. Completely unsettled, she tried to clamber away on the floor, but managed to get tangled up in the soft confines of the blankets beneath her. Panicked, she realized that she was trapped.

"As I said, that is of little importance right now. You have been resurrected. That is all that matters, Angel."

Despite the unpleasantness of this mysterious savior, she noticed a sense of tenderness when the figure spoke her name. Could it possibly be someone she knew? Someone who loved her? Someone _she _loved?

Quickly snapping out of her musings, she returned to the defensive. This was no time to dwell on _him._

"How do you know my name?" she asked, now more inquisitive than ever.

The mysterious figure let out a deep, sinister chuckle that caused the hairs on her arms to rise.

"All will be answered in time, Angel. Do not fret over what you do not know."

Before she could even comprehend what was said, she felt the presence vanish completely – had she imagined it all? But what of her current situation? She'd been out in the middle of a blizzard and died, hadn't she? Now she was in a pitch black room with several blankets piled beneath her and her unidentifiable savior claimed to have brought her back to life. Had she gone crazy?

"Maybe I'm still out in the storm and I'm in hysterics. There's no other explanation."

Determined to make sense of her situation, Angel carefully removed herself from the tangle of blankets and felt her way along the cold, damp floor. All she needed was to find a source of light – a candle, a flashlight, the sun…_anything._ It seemed her search was all for naught, though – she was unable to find anything of use.

"Help!" she squeaked, now more panicked than ever. She was being held captive by a crazy man – that much was for certain. She had no prospect of where she was or how she'd gotten there. For all she knew, she was still dying slowly out in the snow storm. But perhaps they were telling the truth? That idea scared her more than ever. Had she really died and been resurrected? How? And by whom?

Everything was one confusing question after another. Little did she know that things were only going to get worse.


End file.
